We all know that lung cancer can be difficult to detect. Too many patients only discover the disease after it has reached an advanced stage.
In the UK, around 35% of lung cancer diagnoses happen through the ‘emergency route’. In other words, patients arrive at a hospital Accident and Emergency department before doctors identify the disease.
That figure remains far too high. Patients diagnosed this way rarely qualify for curative treatment.
For that reason, Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation works hard to promote earlier diagnosis.
We also watch closely for initiatives that may improve early detection.
Lung cancer screening in Abu Dhabi
One initiative has recently caught our attention.
The city of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates has introduced a lung cancer screening programme. The programme uses low-dose CT scans.
Health authorities target people who face a higher risk of lung cancer. The programme currently focuses on smokers aged 55 and above who have smoked a pack of cigarettes for at least 30 years.
This decision may seem surprising. At present, lung cancer ranks among the five least common cancers in the region.
However, the Abu Dhabi Department of Health is thinking about the future.
“The Abu Dhabi Department of Health is taking a longer-term view. They are trying to spot lung cancer cases early as they expect more people to develop the disease in the coming decades.”
Comparing lung cancer rates
Using the Global Lung Cancer Coalition e-Atlas from the Global Lung Cancer Coalition, we can compare lung cancer rates between countries.
The data shows that the UAE currently records around 9.4 lung cancer cases per 100,000 people. In the UK, the figure stands at about 30 cases per 100,000 people.
However, smoking rates have increased in the UAE over the past two decades. This trend appears particularly strong among Emirati men.
As a result, health officials expect more cases of lung cancer in the future. Their screening programme aims to identify the disease earlier when treatment works best.
The UK screening debate
It will be interesting to see how effective the Abu Dhabi programme proves.
At the moment, the UK does not have a national lung cancer screening programme.
Several factors explain this. Researchers still debate how much screening reduces deaths. CT scans also carry small risks for patients, and they can be expensive.
To change this situation, the UK needs strong evidence that screening improves outcomes and offers good value.
Lung health checks in Nottingham
Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation has already started building that evidence.
Last year, we launched a Lung Health MOT check in Bulwell, Nottingham. The project invited patients from five GP practices to attend a lung health check.
Participants were aged between 60 and 75 and had a history of smoking.
Doctors offered high-risk patients a low-dose CT (LDCT) scan. These scans checked for nodules on the lungs.
In almost 5% of patients, the scans revealed small nodules. At present, these nodules are not malignant. Doctors now monitor these patients through regular interval CT scans to track any changes.
The programme has also identified patients with early-stage lung cancer. These individuals did not know they had the disease. They have now received curative treatment.
Building the case for national screening
We will continue analysing the data from this project.
Our team will also gather additional evidence as the programme develops.
With this information, we will keep pressing the government and Public Health England to introduce a national lung cancer screening programme.